A Message from COL (Ret) Tom Palmer, Commandant

Greetings from our campus in Dahlonega! The Office of the Commandant is a major subordinate element of the Division of Student Affairs at the University of North Georgia (UNG). The staff members assigned to our office have more than 160 years of combined experience in the United States Army, either in troop units or in military schools and staff. Eight of our personnel continue to wear the Army uniform even though they are retired. Two people, an office administrator, and an administrative assistant, provide assistance to the Commandant or to the office as a whole.

The Office of the Commandant supervises the military program at UNG and selects Cadets for leadership positions of increasing responsibility. The Commandant’s staff and the Professor of Military Science’s (PMS) staff work together to provide seamless oversight for a Corps of Cadets that now exceeds 750 students. In fact, the Commandant and the PMS both serve as co-directors of our nationally prominent military program.

The Commandant’s office provides student services, records management and general training management for the Corps. As university employees, the Commandant’s staff houses, equips, trains, disciplines and rewards Cadets from the first day of FROG Week until the day of graduation. Tactical (TAC) officers work in the residence halls, coaching Cadet leaders in the maintenance of good military order and discipline and the art of military leadership through a student-led chain of command.

Our staff manages three military residence halls, a drill field, a rappelling tower, two on-campus military leadership courses, and a personnel records center. Most importantly, our officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) counsel Cadets every day, providing them feedback on their leadership skills and challenging them to perform in positions of increasing responsibility.

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